


Look Who's Back

by NeverAndAlways



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dean Swears, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Established Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Gabriel Lives, Gen, Light Angst, M/M, Reunions, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-07 21:29:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1914510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverAndAlways/pseuds/NeverAndAlways
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam gets a surprise visitor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Look Who's Back

**Author's Note:**

> This fic takes place in the same universe as 'Wedding Bells', after Dean and Cas have gotten married.
> 
> As always, comments/feedback are more than welcome; I'd love to hear what you think of the story!

It's early morning in a hotel somewhere in Nebraska. Dean and Cas have gone out to find breakfast, leaving Sam to his own devices. He doesn't mind. It's been almost a year since they- since **he** lost Gabriel...he misses the guy like crazy, and it still feels like there's a hole in his heart. Needless to say, some days are better than others; today is...okay, so far. He's glad to have some time alone, to help him 'get his head back in the game', as Dean would say. He fusses a little, to distract himself. He re-organizes his brother's things (mostly to piss him off), makes the beds, and cleans and sorts the Hunting equipment. Then, with nothing else to do, he sits down and thumbs through the Hunting notebook.

Acheri...changelings...djinn...demons...dragons...ghouls...he flips back to the section marked 'ANGELS'. Dean's untidy scrawl covers page after page with information gathered about the various angels they've encountered. Castiel is first. The notes have a gruff tone in the beginning, saying things like "don't turn your back on him" and "has no fucking clue about personal space", but then soften somewhat into "he can be pretty helpful" and "kinda cute??". Sam smirks at this. He moves on, past Balthazar (who has an arrow pointing to his name with the word "ASSHOLE" in red ink), Anna (not much about her), Virgil (not much about him, either), Zachariah, and finally...Gabriel. He takes a deep breath before continuing. The first entry reads "TRICKSTER. ALSO ARCHANGEL --> DANGEROUS", and "POWERFUL. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE". The next lines are jumbled together, a sort of stream-of-consciousness: "has power to ~~change~~ twist reality...alt. dimensions?" "Also a dick. Worse than Balthazar." "DON'T MAKE HIM MAD" 'huge sweet-tooth" "Sam likes him???"...the words blur and swim on the page. He closes the notebook. "Okay Sam, enough moping." he chides himself, putting it away and taking out his laptop instead. He turns on the computer and does some research for their upcoming Hunt. It helps. Soon he's immersed in his work, and he can concentrate on nothing but that. He doesn't even notice when the clock reads 10:00 and Dean and Cas still haven't returned. The room is quiet and for once, it's relatively peaceful...

"Hey." says a voice behind him.

He doesn't even think before responding. "'Hey' to you too."

Then his brain catches up to itself. He cringes a little. "That's really not funny, Crowley."

The voice chuckles. "'Crowley'?? C'mon, Sam-I-Am. Don't you recognize me?"

Sam hesitates. Only one person has ever called him that- he stands up, and his breath catches in his throat. Leaning on the doorway is a short man with shaggy, red-brown hair, a long face, and a gleam in his eyes: "...Gabriel...??"

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!" Gabriel grins. Sam nearly runs toward him, words tumbling out of his mouth before he can stop them.

"I thought you were **dead** , where have you BEEN, I missed you so damn much-" then he stops. The logical part of him has kicked in and is elbowing him in the metaphorical ribs. "...Wait. No."

Gabriel raises his eyebrows. "No...? Aren't you happy to see me?" his face turns suspicious. "Don't tell me you've already found someone else."

"No, I-" Sam takes a step back, suddenly on-guard. "It can't be you, there's no way."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure I'm still me. Last time I checked, at least."

"But you- he- Gabriel DIED. I was there, I saw it, wing imprints and everything; Lucifer used the angel-blade on him, there's no way he survived."

Gabriel- or not-Gabriel -looks Sam up and down. "Yeah, it doesn't sound very good, does it." he sighs. "I don't know what to tell you-"

"You could start with an explanation. Like, I dunno, maybe tell me what the hell you are and why you're impersonating my boyfriend?"

"Maybe because I AM your boyfriend?"

Sam scoffs. "Nuh-uh. You'll have to try harder than that, I'm not stupid."

The man throws up his hands, exasperated. "C'mon, it's ME...! Your brother came back from the dead and you believed **him** , why can't you believe **me**??"

"'Cause Dean wasn't stabbed with the angel-blade. And you leave him out of this." Sam growls. As he talks, he backs slowly toward the table full of Hunting equipment. "For all I know, you could be a shapeshifter, or a djinn, or any number of things."

"Look," says the man, still moving forward as Sam feels around on the table behind him, "I'm just not, okay? I don't know what you want me to- woah, hey, watch where you point that...!"

Sam is moving toward him again, this time wielding a long, serrated blade. What started as happiness is now anger directed at this creature, whatever it is. "Right, I'm done with this sick little joke of yours. And I'm done asking nicely." he says, his voice dangerously calm. "I want to know exactly who and what you are, and why you're really here. And if you don't tell me in the next ten seconds, you and this blade are gonna get really well-acquainted."

The man slowly backs away. His eyes flick back and forth from Sam's face, to the blade in his hand. "Look at me, Sam. It's me. It's Gabriel. Archangel, Trickster, your boyfriend. I know it's been a long time-"

"Ten...nine...eight..."

"-but I can explain if you'll just, y'know, calm down for a minute-"

"Six...five...four..."

"-and put the silverware down instead of **pointing it at me seriously please stop** -"

Sam has him backed up against the wall now, the tip of the blade pressed to his sternum. "Three...TWO..."

"Gabriel??"

Sam's head whips around. Castiel and Dean are standing in the doorway, laden with grocery bags, gaping at the scene before them. Cas narrows his eyes and tilts his head, his default look of confusion.

"I am so glad to see you, little bro, you have no idea." whispers Gabriel. Cas ignores him.

"Sam, why are you threatening my brother with a knife?" he asks, almost conversationally.

"This isn't your brother."

"Yes, he is." Castiel walks in a slow circle around the two men, looking at Gabriel like a detective at a crime scene. "I do not understand how-"

"I think your husband would call it 'angel mojo'." Gabriel interjects. "Duplicates are very useful things."

"...but it is undoubtedly Gabriel." Cas continues doggedly. "I recognize his Grace." finally, Cas approaches his brother. He reaches out as if to clap him on the shoulder, then withdraws his hand and nods respectfully instead. "It is good to see you, Gabriel."

"Sam...?" says Dean from across the room. One hand is extended toward Sam, and he speaks as though to someone dangerous. "Why don't you put down the knife, now."

Sam looks from Dean to Cas and back again. Slowly, he lowers the knife; Gabriel sighs with relief. He turns around, tosses the knife onto the bed. When he turns back, his face is nearly blank, but at least four different emotions are jostling around in his head. Joy at seeing Gabriel again; anger for all his unanswered questions; horror that he almost stabbed Gabe; and immense relief.

Gabriel coughs politely. "So. Now that the pleasantries are out of the way..." he closes the distance beetween himself and Sam and, despite being at least a foot shorter, envelopes him in a hug. It takes a moment for Sam to react. Tentatively at first, as though afraid of breaking him, he puts his arms around the smaller man, tangles his fingers in his hair. Then he pulls Gabriel closer, and holds him.They stand that way for some time before Gabriel pulls away a little. "'m sorry." he says, so only Sam can hear. The Hunter shakes his head. There's so much he wants to say, but...it can wait. Instead, he smiles, tries to will away the tears in his eyes.

"I'm just glad you're alive." 

 

~**  ☆☆☆  **~

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked the story, please leave a comment- I'd love to hear from you!


End file.
